


Family

by terrys_chocklit_orange



Series: Friends [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, babygate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 22:18:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4454480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terrys_chocklit_orange/pseuds/terrys_chocklit_orange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after One Direction disbands, Harry and Louis tie the knot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

Harry can't remember the last time he slept alone in a hotel suite. It was once normal, even boring, but now, every detail seems like the most amazing luxury. He has space, for himself and his things. He has time, to get up when he likes and take as long of a shower as he pleases. And he has quiet. 

Too much quiet. As he passes from the bathroom to the kitchenette, Harry turns on the television, just to have some background noise. 

“And finally, in entertainment news,” a dark-haired woman says, as Harry pours himself a bowl of muesli, “Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles were spotted in a flower shop in Chelsea yesterday afternoon.” Harry's eyes snap up. Sure enough, a still photo of he and Louis carrying white cardboard boxes out of the florist's fills the screen. “The couple, who are rumoured to be getting married this weekend in London, are best known as members of former boy band One Direction. They made headlines when they revealed they had been in a secret relationship for much of their time with the band.” Harry's stomach churns. They'd only picked up the flowers themselves because they were having lunch in the area, and he wanted to give his PA a break. He puts down his spoon as the woman, smiling brightly, turns to someone else. “What do you think, Dafydd? Will it be a nice weekend for a wedding?”

A man appears on screen, a map of Britain behind him. “Not too bad, Imani. A cold front will move in from the north late this evening...” Harry presses the “off” button. 

He still isn't used to it. Five years after the group disbanded and he and Louis came out, a bubble of panic still rises in his chest whenever he hears or sees something about them being together. It's ridiculous, of course. Towards the end, he even _wanted_ people to know, he was so fed up with hiding. Still, it always feels strange to actually see it out there, to hear something that was kept quiet for so long talked about openly and without hesitation. 

Not that it's talked about all that often. He and Louis chose the quiet life—or at least, the quieter life—after One Direction limped out of existence. He writes songs for other singers, sometimes, and Louis produces, now and then. They're involved with charities, both in the UK and in California, where they spend half their time with Louis' seven-year-old. Mostly, they keep to themselves. Harry doesn't miss living in public, but it makes it all the more awkward when he does see some private moment flashed on the screen. 

There's knock on the door. His PA, Harry assumes, hopefully bearing coffee. He opens the door and starts when he sees Louis, smiling.

“You're not supposed to see me until it's time.” 

Louis rolls his eyes. “Oh, come on. You're not even dressed yet.”

“I thought that was the point of staying in separate hotel rooms.”

“The point of staying in separate hotel rooms,” Louis says, coming in, “was so that we'd actually get some sleep. Because it's going to be a long day and an even longer night.” He grins, his tongue poking suggestively between his lips. Even after all this time, that's enough for Harry's throat to get dry and his palms to get sweaty. 

“I've seen the kids,” Louis says, which should break the spell. It doesn't, although Harry clears his throat and replies, “How are they?”

“They're fine with your mum.”

“Is she feeding them shit?”

“Of course. But they've promised me they'll have at least one fruit or vegetable at some point during the day. Not counting the orange cream lollies they were already eating.”

“For breakfast?” Harry doesn't know why his mother, upon becoming a grandmother, became such a soft touch, but at seven, four and two years old, their daughter and two sons have her wrapped around their little fingers. 

“I've got a surprise for you.” Louis smiles. “Now, I know you don't like surprises...”

“I don't mind surprises.”

“Harry. There's a reason I proposed to you at the Eiffel Tower on Valentine's Day.”

“After we'd been together twelve years.” And it was a surprise. They both wanted to get married, some day, but life and children meant there never seemed to be time. On a rare weekend away, Louis nudged Harry's hand as they looked out over the twinkling lights and slipped a ring box over to him. Harry tried very hard not to cry. He was somewhat successful. 

“I had a drink with Liam last night.” 

“Really?” They haven't seen much of the others lately. They're all coming to the wedding, even Zayn, but Harry doesn't expect they'll have much time to catch up. 

“There's talk of a reunion tour. Limited engagement, of course.”

“Already?” Harry's always thought they might do one. It's good money, and he and Louis have got three kids on two continents to look after, but he assumed they would wait a bit longer, until their fans were old enough to have both the money and the sense of nostalgia to come. 

“I told him we couldn't do anything for at least a year. I'm tied up in the studio in LA all winter, anyway.” There's an unspoken “but” in that sentence. Harry waits for Louis to speak it. “But, I could talk to Briana about shifting the custody arrangement and all the kids could come with us. It'd be a great sort of family adventure.” 

“Maybe.” He can see what Louis is saying. It _would_ be great, in a way, especially if they could do it without disrupting too much of the older kids' schooling. But there would be no hiding anything this time. He and Louis would be in the spotlight again, married, and while he's not normally one to feel shy, Harry feels a bit uneasy at the thought of getting on stage in front of thousands of people who _know_.

“You wouldn't feel weird?” He says. Louis blinks, plainly not understanding. “About doing that...out?”

Louis laughs. “We were never 'in', love. We just couldn't say the words.” It's true. Looking back, Harry wonders sometimes how they got away with it at all, how there was ever any doubt in anyone's mind.

“We'll say them today,” Harry replies. He's got his vows ready, memorized but also printed on little cards in case emotion overtakes him. Today is not a day to be changing lyrics on the fly. 

Louis kisses him, long and deep, his hands gripping Harry's shoulders so tightly it almost hurts. When he pulls away, his lips are red and his eyes are bright. “Last one of those until we're married,” he says, and just like that, it's real. The tour doesn't matter, the public don't matter. It's Harry's wedding day, the one he's wanted since he was sixteen years old, and he's the luckiest man alive. “See you soon, love.” Louis leaves. Harry goes back to his muesli, only to find he can't sit still. He walks over to the window and looks down at the busy street. He walks away again and turns on the television, where the weather report has changed into some minor celebrity trying to make a quiche. He picks up his phone, to see where the fuck his PA is, and sees a new message. 

It's a photo, of three little faces stained with orange lollies. _We miss you, Daddy_ the message says, and that's all it takes. _Fuck quiet,_ he decides. _Fuck space._ He texts his PA to bring his wedding clothes to his mother's house and heads for the door. And if the paparazzi happen to catch him, Harry thinks, at least they'll get him with a smile.


End file.
